Displaying items by tag: Free Speech

So it’s the 5th of November at 9:01am (Eastern Time in the US) and Facebook is still up. I know that there will be countless articles and comments online today about this and many of them will be less than complimentary. However, the fact of the matter is that this “Op” was probably never really sanctioned by the collective in the first place. Instead this was most likely the work of a handful of members that were angry at Facebook.

If you remember our article on this back on the 22nd of September we said “As for Facebook and the 5th of November… I think they are safe, but not because Facebook is secure or well coded (it is not). It is because Facebook really does represent Freedom of speech and expression; even if the owners are rather arrogant and foolish.”  We just had a feeling that doing something like this would not be in Anonymous’ best interest and again it would be attacking one of the things that they do represent; a free and open internet (freedom of speech and expression).

Of course the argument can be raised that Facebook is a giant corporation that rakes in tons of cash and has used its members’ images, information and other items to become quite wealthy. This has upset many Anonymous members if some of the comments we have seen are any indication. However the general consensus is that Facebook is a good thing even if there are some areas that are concerning.

In the end Facebook is more user driven than a corporation like Fox, or Bank of America, or the Zeta Cartel. These companies prey off of the general public instead of allowing them the freedom to express themselves as they see fit and to communicate with the rest of the world if they chose. So today when you hear that Anonymous “dropped” another Op or more about how Chaotic they are and their lack of organization (they are a collective, but people keep missing that) just remember that while some of their members have done things that are less than acceptable (like releasing the home addresses of police officers) in the end the vast majority really are after a more open and free internet. This is why things like Facebook, Myspace and most other Social Networking sites are pretty safe.

...Of course the day has just started...

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With all the news about Facebook today I was reminded of something that was talked about almost a month ago. This is the threat against Facebook from Anonymous stating that on November 5th they will take a social networking giant off of the net. I began to think about the pros and cons of that threat and was wondering if it made any sense to make that claim. On the one hand there is no denying that Facebook is becoming more and more arrogant. They are making changes that are not liked and often implementing services that there is no way to opt out of. This is the type of thing that makes people leave a site like Facebook. We have watched as they, much like Google, have brushed privacy concerns aside and in the case of some features risked the safety of their users (with the auto tagging feature). Yet they have pushed ahead with these things. This all on its own would have provoked many of the Anon clan in to action.

However, on the other hand Facebook represents something that Anon does believe in; Freedom of expression. Sure you cannot post anything you want and there are rules, but it is a form of global mass communication on a scale that nothing else can match. Taking it down would be to go against some of the foundations that Anon stands on; Free Internet, Free Speech and Free Expression.

I would not be surprised to find out that there are some arguments going on right now over if they should or should not take down Facebook on the 5th of November. Remember Anon is not a group but a collective “We are Legion” is in every statement they put out. Lately this statement seems to have broken down as more and more splinter groups pop up with a “leader” These groups are at odds with each other at times and if the rumors are true there is something of an underground war going on in the community. My guess is that some Anon “members” are not happy with the way things are going and what groups like Lulzsec, and others are doing when they release personal information on the families of police officials or informants and put their very lives in danger.  This kind of behavior and this type of in-fighting could be a serious blow to Anon and could in some cases lead to the authorities catching more and more participants.

As for Facebook and the 5th of November… I think they are safe, but not because Facebook is secure or well coded (it is not). It is because Facebook really does represent Freedom of speech and expression; even if the owners are rather arrogant and foolish.

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